Opinion: With dominant World Cup win over Sweden, USWNT puts the rest of the field on notice

SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Nancy Armour breaks down the USWNT's dominant win over Sweden in the final group game that should put the rest of the world on notice: If the Americans keep playing like this, everyone else is playing for second.
USA TODAY

LE HAVRE, France — The rest of the World Cup is on notice, if the remaining teams weren't already.

The U.S. women let everyone know Thursday night that their impressive showings in the first two games weren’t just because they were playing vastly inferior competition. With a definitive 2-0 victory against Sweden that clinched the top of Group F and avenged the most embarrassing loss in team history, the Americans proved they are the force to be reckoned with over the next three weeks.

Whatever team has designs on lifting that trophy July 7, it's going to have to go through the Americans to do it.

"We're on our game, we’re building momentum," Becky Sauerbrunn said. "We’ve gotten some good results, we’ve scored some good goals and we haven’t let any goals in. I hope teams that are preparing for us are getting ready for what’s going to be a really, really tough match."

That is Spain's task next, facing the U.S. on Monday in the round of 16.

The Americans finished the group stage with the maximum nine points, and set a World Cup record with 18 goals in the group stage. Defensively, the U.S. and Germany are the only teams that have yet to allow a goal.

"I feel like any team that’s going to go on and win is the team that has so many threats and doesn’t rely on one player," Crystal Dunn said. "People should know we rotate our players. We have a strong 23 and we’re always fresh and ready to go."

After two lopsided games — including that 13-0 rout of Thailand that was the biggest laugher in World Cup history — it was hard to get a sense of just how good the U.S. women really were. They certainly looked like a team that could win its fourth World Cup title, with endless options on offense and such depth that the notion they could have two teams here and both would contend didn’t seem far-fetched.

But would that hold against stiffer competition? Would the new style coach Jill Ellis implemented after the quarterfinal loss to Sweden at the Rio Olympics — the earliest exit the U.S. has ever made from a major international tournament — be as efficient and productive? Would the defense hold?

Would goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who had never before started a major tournament, be a worthy successor to Hope Solo and Briana Scurry?

In one word, yes.

To all of those questions.

Sweden is a veteran and organized team that does not give away easy goals and has a front line that is blazing fast. It's also proven that it can go toe-to-toe with the Americans, particularly at big events. It had beaten the U.S. the last three times it had faced it at the World Cup or the Olympics, including that 2016 win.

But from the opening whistle, it was clear the U.S. was playing in even a different gear than it had the first two games.

Three minutes into the game, the U.S. was awarded its first corner kick. Sam Mewis backheeled the ball past Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl, and it landed right at Lindsey Horan's feet. Horan buried the ball into the net for what was the fastest goal scored so far in the tournament.

The U.S. dominated possession and had several good chances but couldn’t convert. Until the 50th minute, when Tobin Heath juked Sweden’s Jonna Andersson and lofted the ball over Lindahl’s head into the upper corner of the net.

Heath said after the game that the ball was deflected, but it hardly mattered. Nine different Americans have already been credited with goals, and the tournament is really just getting started.

"Everyone is so capable of going off at any moment," Heath said. "It’s a joy to watch, it's a joy to play with. It’s kind of scary because we have so many tools and so many talented players that can contribute at any time."

But, honestly, scoring goals was never a doubt for the U.S. It was stopping them.

Naeher was quick to scoop up balls that came her way, and she didn't get flustered by the scrums in front of her goal. Her punch save of a dangerous shot by Kosovare Asllani in the 70th minute was impressive, as was the way she handled an earlier shot by Sofia Jakobsson, who took advantage of a breakdown in the back line.

"To come away from group play with three shutouts, as a team defense, I’m very proud of that," Naeher said.

There is a lot of the World Cup left, and anything can happen in the win-or-go-home knockout rounds. But the Americans have been the best team in the world for the better part of three decades now, and they do not intend to give up that title easily.

They've left little doubt so far that they came to play this World Cup. And that means everyone else is playing for second.

July 6: England's Ellen White mimics the USA's Alex Morgan by sipping tea after scoring the game-tying goal. After a VAR review, the goal was disallowed because of a handball, and Sweden would go on to win 2-1. Robert Cianflone, Getty Images

July 6: Sweden's Kosovare Asllani, right, opens the scoring for Sweden in the 11th minute, drilling a shot into the bottom right corner of the net, during Sweden's 2-1 win over England in the third-place match. Claude Paris, AP

June 27: Steph Houghton of England clears the ball off the line as Guro Reiten of Norway applies pressure during the Women's World Cup at Stade Oceane in Le Havre, France. Richard Heathcote, Getty Images

June 27: David Beckham stands with his daughter, Harper, and mother, Sandra Georgina West, prior to the quarterfinal between England and Norway at Stade Oceane in Le Havre, France. Richard Heathcote, Getty Images

June 23: French players surround teammate Amandine Henry (bottom) after she scored the game winning goal in extra time to give France a 2-1 win over Brazil. Michel Vincent, Presse Sports-USA TODAY Sports

June 22: Norway players celebrate after knocking out Australia 4-1 in a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 tie in regulation and extra time during their round of 16 game in Nice. Martin Rose, Getty Images

June 17: France's Wendie Renard scores on her second penalty kick after video replay ruled Nigeria's goalkeeper came off her line to make a save on the first attempt. France beat Nigeria 1-0 to win Group A. Franck Fife, AFP/Getty Images

June 17: Moments after saving a penalty kick, Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, left, is shown a yellow card by referee Melissa Borjas when video replay technology ruled Nnadozie came off the goal line to make the save. France was awarded a second penalty kick, which it converted to win the Group A match 1-0. Vincent Michel, AP

June 17: Spain midfielder Virgina Torrecilla, left, kicks the ball in front of China's forward Li Yang, who crashes into another Spanish player, during their 0-0 draw in their final Group B match. Loic Venance, AFP/Getty Images

Forward Alex Morgan (13) scores a goal past Thailand defender Natthakarn Chinwong (3) during the second half, one of her five goals in the USA's 13-0 win in their first Group F match on June 11. Michael Chow, USA TODAY Sports

June 10: Forward Christine Sinclair (12), the greatest scorer in Canadian soccer history, slides to play a ball against Cameroon in Canada's 1-0 win in Group E. Alain Mounic, Presse Sports-USA TODAY Sports